Easy Brown Rice Pudding
Published 10/2/2018 • Updated 12/8/2023
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Instantly warm up chilly winter days with a bowl of cozy brown rice pudding. This naturally vegan recipe is delightfully cinnamon-spiced and comes together with just 6 wholesome ingredients.
Once the temps drop below freezing, it’s rice pudding season here in the midwest. If you aren’t familiar with traditional rice pudding, you’re in for a treat today! Homemade brown rice pudding is thick, slightly sweet, creamy, and warms you up from the inside out! It’s like a second cousin to oatmeal – especially when made with a whole grain like brown rice. Often enjoyed for dessert, we love rice pudding for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up, too.
This wholesome stovetop brown rice pudding is made in about an hour (lots of hands-off time) with simple ingredients and without any refined sugars. Here at Fit Foodie, we love cinnamon – if you do, too, we recommend increasing the amount to 2 teaspoons for even more warm, cozy flavor. Our naturally plant-based recipe is also gluten free, making this a versatile sweet that everyone loves!
Featured Comment
“Easy recipe to follow and we loved the results. We added a small handful of raisins at the 45 minute mark, and they added a nice texture and sweetness. We love cinnamon, and will increase the amount for the next batch.” – Ryan
What is in brown rice pudding?
All you need are just a few pantry staples to make this simple recipe:
- Brown rice (we used long grain)
- Almond milk
- Maple syrup
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
Brown Rice Pudding Variations
Rice pudding is a very forgiving recipe and works well with any of these substitutions:
Rice: Use the same amount of white rice instead of brown rice.
Milk: Instead of almond milk, use any kind of plant-based or regular milk. Oat milk would add a delicious creaminess and sweetness.
Maple Syrup: Feel free to use honey instead, but the pudding would no longer be vegan.
Spices: Increase the amount of cinnamon or mix things up by adding homemade pumpkin pie spice or a chai spice mix.
FAQ
Rice pudding is typically a dessert, but this recipe could totally pass for breakfast! Top with berries or a sliced banana, nuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup for a wholesome breakfast.
Yes, this is a naturally gluten free (and dairy free/vegan) recipe!
Rice pudding is supposed to be pretty thick. Once cooked, if it’s too thick for your liking, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It’s a great meal-prep snack or dessert to make on the weekend and enjoy all week long!
Freezing Brown Rice Pudding
Let the rice pudding cool to room temperature, transfer to freezer-safe containers (we like to freeze this in individual servings), and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm before enjoying – you may need to stir in a splash of almond milk to thin the pudding out a bit.
Serving Suggestions
Serve brown rice pudding hot with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and a splash of almond milk. If you’re eating this recipe for breakfast, I suggest swirling in a nut butter (like cashew butter or peanut butter) and adding a handful of raisins or nuts.
Easy Brown Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain brown rice
- 4 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup*
Instructions
- Place the brown rice, 3 cups of almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and maple syrup in a medium pot set over medium/high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining cup of milk and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is soft and chewy.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and optional almond milk.
Tips & Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Once cool, transfer rice pudding to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm before enjoying – you may need to stir in a splash of almond milk to thin the pudding out a bit.
- Maple Syrup: Use 1-2 more tablespoons of maple syrup for sweeter rice pudding. Feel free to use honey instead, but the pudding would no longer be vegan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’ve been craving rice pudding since the cold weather arrived!
I love that your recipe is vegan and calls for brown rice! I used it and changed things a bit by adding coconut milk and a vanilla bean. I don’t think it’ll last in the fridge for too long! Thanks 🙂
http://www.valisesetgourmandises.com/vegan-brown-rice-pudding/
p.s. no rice cooker and a nice mess to clean -_-
Great additions! Coconut milk would be so tasty and vanilla bean is always a winner! Ugghhh I hate dirty pots. LIKE HATE!
I made this with coconut milk and coconut sugar, yum!
I just made this exactly as the recipe says and the rice didn’t cook very soft… I’m so disappointed! Are you supposed to precook the rice or soak it?
Oh no! So you used a rice cooker? Did you use short grain brown rice? What I would do is throw it in a pot, add more almond milk and continue to let it simmer on the stove top. If the rice it still hard, it just means you need to cook it longer and probably add more liquid. Try that!
Yes I used my rice cooker. I ate it, the rice was crunchy, but it tasted delicious despite the texture… I’m not sure if it was short or long grain because my husband got it from a bulk bin and doesn’t remember…
HMmmmm. Well- next time just add more liquid and cook it longer! I’m sorry it didn’t turn out well for you!
What is the nutritional facts for this recipe?
Unfortunately I did not do the calculations. You are more than welcome to put them in a recipe calculator yourself, though!
I just made this tonight! I added half a chopped apple and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
#genius I need to make another bath of this ASAP. Apple Cinnamon sounds about perfect.
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I love a warm rice pudding during the winter! I just pinned this so I can give it a go. I’m a huge fan of brown rice! I think the almond milk would work perfectly here, I truly prefer the nutty flavour. So yummy. Great recipe. And I think raisins are a must with rice pudding!
YES. I love this recipe as well. Thinking about doing a spin off of it soon 🙂 🙂
Can you make this with pre-cooked brown rice?
YUM! Quick question: I have some quick-cooking (10-12 min as opposed to the full 45 min) brown rice on hand, and I believe it calls for less liquid than traditional brown rice. Could I use that instead and just reduce the amount of milk?
Mmm! So comforting, yet healthy! I’ve something like this before, but I added peanut butter for extra deliciousness 🙂